Availability of U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 94-382, Surface-Water Quality-Assurance Plans for Districts of the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, by Donald V. Arvin 



In Reply Refer To:                               February 3, 1995
Mail Stop 415

OFFICE OF SURFACE WATER TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM NO. 95.03

Subject:  Availability of U.S. Geological Survey Open-File 
          Report 94-382, Surface-Water Quality-Assurance Plans for
          Districts of the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources
          Division, by Donald V. Arvin 

In conjunction with the Branch of Quality Assurance, the Office of 
Surface Water (OSW) has made preparations for districts to update and 
improve the existing surface-water quality-assurance plans. The 
vehicle for this change is a workbook included in the subject report. 
The workbook consists of a framework  of generally-accepted policy 
and procedures related to surface-water quality assurance, 
interspersed with blank sections. In these sections each district is 
asked to write policies and procedures that specifically apply in a 
particular district, given the hydrologic conditions. 

Approval of an individual district quality-assurance plan for release 
as an open-file report will be given following an OSW review of the 
added material. Revisions of the plan may be made by showing the 
revised date on the cover of the plan and furnishing revised copies 
to Headquarters and to the appropriate repositories.   

The districts will be asked to change to this new quality-assurance 
plan format some time after April 1995. In the meantime, however, the 
report containing the workbook is available through anonymous ftp. 
Districts having surface-water quality-assurance plans that are 
significantly outdated should retrieve the report and update their 
plan now. Also, any districts wishing to get an early start may 
retrieve the report now. A copy of U.S. Geological Survey Open-File 
Report 94-382 can be obtained as follows:

               ftp btdqs.usgs.gov
               cd pub/SW.qa.plan
               get sw.qa.plan.doc

A compressed version of the report is in the same directory under the 
filename swqap.doc.Z.

Please let us know if you have comments or questions. We would be 
particularly interested in the comments and suggestions of those that 
use the workbook.

                                Ernest F. Hubbard
                                Acting Chief, Office of Surface Water 

WRD Distribution:  A, B, FO, PO